My Son is Paralyzed from his Chest Down

Hello everyone, my name is Brandon Edwards. I am looking to help my older brother, Matt. On December 16th, he jumped into a foam pit which turned out to be too shallow. When he landed, he hit the bottom of the pit and broke his neck, causing him to be paralyzed from the chest down. I’ll tell you more about the specifics of his injury later. For now, I want to tell you about my family, especially my brother.

Our Family
My parents are two of the most charitable people I know. They are heavily involved in our local community and have been an example to all of us kids of trying to give back whenever possible. My whole family was born and raised in Coeur d’Alene (Core Duh Lane), Idaho. We are a family of 8: four boys, Dan Jr, Matt, (the one who got injured), Me, my younger brother, Caden, and my two little sisters, Kelsey and Heidi. We all grew up being homeschooled by our parents. We all were fortunate to be heavily involved in sports such as gymnastics, motocross, baseball, football, rock climbing, jujitsu and so much more. We love extreme sports and thrive on being outside. We made every moment count. All the boys became Eagle Scouts and have served the best we could in our church responsibilities. My parents were always busy!

My Brother Matt
Growing up, I saw Matt as one of my greatest heroes. He was shaped like a small hulk hahaha-- overall was (and is) a good-looking guy! He was never arrogant or boastful about his talents or natural gifts. Matt silently worked and practiced hard at what he was passionate about and still has that drive today. I lived by the saying in my earlier years: “If Matt can do it, I can too.” He is an adrenaline junkie and impressively excels at all sports! Matt’s love for these extreme sports like gymnastics is what sadly brings us here today.

More About Matt and What Makes Him Great
Matt is one of the kindest and most compassionate guys you'll meet. He dedicated two years of his life from 18-20 years old to serving a service mission as a Missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ in Ghana, Africa. There, he provided compassionate service while teaching and ministering to the people of Ghana. He walked an average of 10 miles a day. Before his mission, he became an Eagle Scout (which is no small feat). Starting as a Boy Scout meant humbly learning the skills of manhood, the outdoors, how to be a good law-abiding citizen, tremendous amounts of service within our community, and so much more. It takes diligence and resilience to acquire the necessary merit badges and receive the rank of Eagle. Matt has always been dedicated to his goals to serve others and give back to our community. All of this became Matt’s foundation as he grew into a man.

The Accident
Matt and Caden had been living in a college town in Utah for a couple of months while work slowed down in Idaho. The outdoor activities provided by the Rockies, combined with the social life of being in a college town made it a great place to live for some time. Before heading home for Christmas, Matt and Caden, along with some buddies, decided to go to a trampoline park in the local mall. Our family loves trampoline parks! Matt saw this as an opportunity to throw some tricks like our family commonly does when we see a trampoline and foam pit haha! This was nothing new for Matt-- until disaster struck. He did a basic jump into the pit, and when he landed, he heard a strange pop. At that very moment, Matt became paralyzed from his chest down. Lying head-first in the pit with no feeling in his body, he was unable to pull himself out. When Matt didn’t resurface, Caden and his friends knew something had gone wrong. They quickly approached where Matt was buried and heard a faint verbal cue which could only be recognized as “Help!” They immediately jumped in and gently flipped Matt over to help him to breathe again. They braced his neck with their hands as EMS arrived. Matt was taken right down the road to Utah Valley Hospital, which miraculously happens to also be a trauma center. He endured 7 hours of emergency surgery for multiple fractures and dislocations in his neck. The rest of the family was in Idaho and my mom first called to break the news. Hearing this made my heart sink knowing I wasn’t going to be able to be there for him, as he’s always been there for me. I'll admit I am not a crier, but this brought tears to my eyes as I imagined the shock, stress, and pain my older brother, Matt, was experiencing from this kind of accident.

Matt’s Diagnosis and Treatment
As mentioned before, Matt immediately went into intensive emergency surgery to fix the fractures, dislocations, and kink on his spine. Fortunately, he didn’t sever his spinal cord! He had two surgeries both of which went extremely well. The doctors were spectacular! Matt was in the ICU for the first 8 days. Matt has started various physical and occupational therapies and is beginning the long and arduous process of recovery. Matt’s doctors have told us that he can heal the fractured bones; however, his damaged nerves may never heal. But...

Rehabilitation
Matt's doctors have told us that because of his physical fitness, overall health, body strength, age, and attitude, he is an excellent candidate for recovery. A critical component of this recovery is the support and expertise of an appropriate specialty recovery hospital. Specialty hospitals have access to extraordinary expertise, resources, and therapy programs that aren't often available at general rehabilitation centers. Specialty hospitals have years of experience treating individuals with spinal cord injuries, use the latest treatment and technology to help patients improve functional independence, minimize medical complications, lower long-term care costs, and prepare patients for a productive, independent, and happy life. We have researched many great rehab options for Matt and are looking for one at the forefront of innovation and technology. One such innovation available to SCI patients is The Ekso. "The Esko, developed by Ekso Bionics, is a mobile exoskeleton that can assist individuals who have complete lower extremity and trunk paralysis to stand and walk over the ground. The Ekso provides full weight-bearing support while over-ground walking and allows for individual adjustment for each person’s body type. After initial setup, clients will be easily transferred from a wheelchair to walking in just a few short minutes." We have found only a few rehab facilities offering these types of state-of-the-art technologies and will pray Matt is accepted to one of them soon. It takes teamwork, and the patient is the most important member of the team. Our family goal is to maximize Matt’s recovery, regain abilities, and nurture Matt’s independence. Matt will be at his rehab hospital anywhere between two months and six months, depending on his rate of progress. There is no passive-patient model of care in rehab. During this time, treatment and rehabilitation will focus on aggressively working Matt physically and psychologically, so he can expedite his neurological recovery and general health. In rehab, Matt’s clinicians and physicians will educate him about all aspects of his injury and care, enabling Matt to return home as independently and productively as possible, being prepared to resume his life.

There Is Hope…
I just wanted to mention that hours after Matt’s initial surgeries, He could feel very slight tingles in his left leg but still with no movement. As of late, the tingles and pressure are increasing but still with no movement. Recently, we have learned there are many cases where the nerves can regenerate, resulting in a significant recovery! There are cases where individuals with similar injuries have made a complete turnaround and returned to an active lifestyle after a long and expensive recovery. We are hopeful that Matt will make a significant recovery, as well. We believe that miracles can happen and that Matt could walk again one day. However, we are also not naive to the fact that it is going to cost all of us more than we could fathom. But any progress, whether big or small, will be worth every penny. If anyone can recover from something like this, it’s my brother, Matt.

Costs
We are looking to raise $300,000 to help offset medical and logistical costs for Matt’s care. Insurance will only cover the first 30 days of rehabilitation. The remaining rehabilitation costs, which aren't covered by insurance will be between $250,000 and $500,000. Also, we have the costs of Matt’s transportation to rehab and the logistical costs of our family members to be with and support Matt during his rehabilitation. We also have to make modifications to my parent’s home to facilitate wheelchair access and make other accessibility modifications for Matt. It is a long road ahead for all of us. It is one that we’re taking one day at a time.

My Final Thoughts
During Matt’s 26 years on this Earth, he has served those around him willingly and regularly. He hasn’t been the best recipient of service from others because he doesn’t want to place a burden on them. He truly is such a selfless man. Well, friends, the table has turned on Matt, as he now deserves any kind of love we can give. I am humbly asking you to help my older brother, Matt, get through this incomprehensible challenge so that he can live his very best life, and get back to doing what he does best-- serving others and enjoying what this incredible world has to offer. An investment in Matt’s recovery will pay dividends to the world throughout the remainder of Matt’s life, because he will give back, over and over again. It is what he does. Any donation that you give will be graciously received. We are humbled that you are considering helping us. As the weeks go on we will update regularly. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.